


Vinyl Destination

by virgosunariesrising



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-25 23:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16207691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/virgosunariesrising/pseuds/virgosunariesrising
Summary: Wacky hijinks ensue for the employees of a record store when a coffee shop opens across the street.





	Vinyl Destination

**Author's Note:**

> hey fuckers! kpop is my life now. i wrote this

“Do you know where the wild things go? They go along to take your honey…”

“Jaemin, I swear to God, if you play Alt-J one more time, I’m gonna shoot myself in the fucking head.” Donghyuck sat at the counter with his face propped on his elbow, flipping halfheartedly through a Rolling Stone from 1997 they found cleaning out the stockroom. His golden skin looked a little sallow under the fluorescent lights and a small crucifix earring dangled daintily from his earlobe. His coworker popped his head out from an aisle near the front of the store, sticking his tongue out petulantly at him and carrying an armload of Beatles special edition boxsets to the “B” section of Rock. “An Awesome Wave never gets old. Don’t be a shitty old bitch.” His jeans were cuffed, the short sleeves of his thrift store Margaritaville button-up were also, and chunky white tube socks peeked out from his tattered black high-top Vans. Hyuck flopped dramatically onto the wide varnished wooden counter and groaned.  
“I’m so bored. I can feel my organs shutting down.”  
Jaemin huffed and pulled two glass bottles of Coke from the small cooler next to the counter.  
“Check this out.”  
Hyuck reluctantly lifted his head and watched as Jaemin put the bottlecap in between his top and bottom teeth and popped it off. He quirked an eyebrow and spit the cap out, handing the bottle to Hyuck. Hyuck took it, unimpressed. “You already showed me that last weekend. Don’t you remember when Renjun tried it and cut his lip open?”  
Jaemin shook his head fondly, a misty look in his eye. “It’s all in the execution. I watched a tutorial. I can link you.”  
Hyuck gave him his most withering look. “I’m good, thanks.” Jaemin hopped over the counter, swinging his legs around and sat on top of it with his back to the door.  
Vinyl Destination sat on the corner of Foxwood and Cleary, established in 2015, a Neighborhood Record Store and Live Music Venue. The store consisted of two big rooms. The main room had the record selection and the counter, a small sliding-door fridge, and Connie, a fat border collie that belonged to Johnny, the manager. The other room was reserved for DVDs , CDs, posters, band tees, and had a small stage for when they hosted local bands every Friday night. Its core staff consisted of Donghyuck, Jaemin, and Johnny, and sometimes Johnny’s shithead teenage cousin Jisung. His little nametag even said “Shithead” in big block letters, engraved with love.  
“Hecho en Mexico…” Jaemin read thoughtfully from his Coke bottle.  
“They sure do,” said Hyuck ironically, a exaggerated expression of false interest on his face. Jaemin shoved his shoulder. “Go stock something, Haechan.” Hyuck had put the name “Haechan” on his nametag because he thought it sounded cooler and his coworkers teased him mercilessly. He grumbled and walked to where Jaemin had been unloading boxsets. Suddenly, there was a loud crash from the back office, followed by a litany of “fucking goddammit SHIT”.  
“Johnny’s back.” Jaemin noted as he picked up where Hyuck had left off in his Rolling Stone. Whereas Hyuck and Jaemin looked the part of trendy record store employees, Johnny Seo looked more like a golf aficionado from suburban Indiana who had somehow stumbled his way into a pretty cool job. A few minutes later, he emerged from the back, walking straight to the window and staring angrily at the storefront across the street, his dark hair and lanky frame endearingly mundane. “I don’t like that fucking coffee guy.”  
“Uh huh,” said Jaemin and Hyuck absentmindedly, both having already heard Johnny’s rant about That Fucking Coffee Guy many times over. A new coffee shop had just opened across the streets a couple months back, called Neo Bean, and the manager, for whatever reason, had it out for Johnny and every time he came in, deliberately went out of his way to fuck his day just a little bit. It drove him insane.  
“Maybe just stop going over there? There’s literally a Starbucks a block away. Iced Americanos taste better when they come straight from the corporate teat,” said Jaemin, sipping on a jet black iced coffee that looked like it had been sitting behind the counter for a couple days at the least. “Another thing. How many times do we need to have this conversation about Eddie Bauer half-zips? You literally own one in every color and if i have to look at them one more time, I’m going to shove needles into my fucking eyes.”  
Johnny paid him no mind. “His name is Ten, who the fuck has a name like that? It’s not even short for anything, it’s literally just Ten. Who the fuck calls themselves Ten?”  
“I genuinely wish the two of you would just fuck already, I really don’t have time for this,” said Hyuck indignantly, re-alphabetizing the Bjork albums in a desperate attempt to find something to do. "I don't want to have sex with him!" Johnny squeaked, "I would never debase myself enough to do anything with that nogood, conniving little weasel with his pointy little nose and his bony arms-"  
"His beautiful eyes," Jaemin supplied.  
"-his beautiful eyes, his stupid hair, his horrible voice. God, I hate him. And who names a coffee shop ‘Neo Bean’ anyway? It’s so pretentious."  
"Our name is a bad pun," said Hyuck dryly, straightening up a few piles of various things on the counter.  
“It’s clever and creative, ok? I like it.”  
A realization dawned on Johnny and he turned around, sheepish. “By the way, guys, we might be waiting on those Lana vinyls for a few more weeks. I’m pretty sure I broke most of them a few minutes ago.”

________________________________________________________________

“I don’t know what I’m doing!” Chenle stood befuddled, a portofilter in one hand and a whipped cream canister in the other. His face was almost as pale green as his hair, and his coworker rushed over to help him, taking both from him and setting them on the counter. Ten watched from the register and massaged his temples, heaving a sigh. Four of their nine-person staff had quit within three weeks of each other and they were having to train an exorbitant amount of people, most of whom had zero barista experience. Chenle was a sweet kid but very nervous and was wearing down the patience of the senior staff. Jeno, who had gone to help him, kindly talked him through the process and Ten returned his attention to the front, the bell on the door alerting him to a new customer. He glanced at the clock. Mark was a full ten minutes late and was going to get his ass reamed when he got here. He hired Mark on as a personal favor to his mother, and so far it was not looking great. Mark worked hard when he was there, but he was awkward and stiff with customers and consistently late. After helping Chenle make a hazelnut latte, Jeno walked over to Ten and patted him on the back. “I’m taking my break! Don’t let him burn this place down, please.”  
“Would if I could,” sighed Ten, and gave him a weary smile. “Remember to be back in 30, I can’t afford another late employee.”  
Jeno smiled wide, eyes scrunching, and ran a hand through his bleach blond hair, a nervous habit. He untied his apron and stuffed it in one of the cabinets next to the lemonade. He had been meaning to check out the record store across the street for some time now but had never gotten around to it, but now that his birthday was coming up, he thought he would treat himself to one or two records. His father had gifted him a turntable a while back but he had never gotten around to really setting it up and buying things to play on it. Vinyl Destination looked like a place he would’ve hung out at in high school, very 90s nostalgia and a cool music snob aura.

He opened the door, expecting to hear the same bell as in the coffee shop, but was met with comfortable silence. The only thing he could hear was the radio playing faintly in the back. A young guy walked appeared from the back and gave him an uninterested smirk.  
“Hi. What can I do for you?” His voice was rusted in the way only a true connoisseur of retail jobs would have, and he obviously wasn’t jumping at the chance to help Jeno in any way. He jerked his head, flicking reddish-brown bangs out of his eye. Jeno gave him a big smile, hoping to butter him up the way he did customers and coworkers at the coffee shop.  
“I was wondering if you had the new Tame Impala in? If not, no worries! I’ll just have a copy of Currents, if that’s ok.” A pink-haired boy emerged from the backroom and met his eye, nodding in greeting absentmindedly. He did a double take and regaining his senses, swiftly pushed the other cashier out of the way. He fell against the wall with a surprised grunt.  
Pink Hair stuck out his hand. “Hi, I’m Jaemin.”  
He chuckled and shook his hand. “Jeno. Pleased to meet you.”  
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine, I promise you.” He crossed his arms and leaned over the counter, tongue between his teeth impishly, giving him a big mischievous smile. “You’re looking for Tame Impala?”  
Jaemin graciously led him to T in Rock and was talking to him about their latest album, completely enraptured in everything Jeno was saying. Hyuck watched with unhidden irritation as Jaemin continued to shamelessly flirt, laughing at one of Jeno’s jokes and putting a hand on his arm. There was no denying that the guy was attractive, and very muscular, arms nearly popping out of his t-shirt. Jaemin was practically drooling at this point, asking “Do you work out?” with the subtlety of a Texas cheerleader campaigning for the homecoming court.  
Jeno laughed goodnaturedly. “When I can! I’m in school and when I’m not doing that, I’m working. I actually work at Neo Bean! I see you guys in here all the time but have never taken the time to pop in.”  
“Oh, we’re so glad you did.” Jaemin gave his arm a little squeeze and looked like he was going to faint. “I love coffee. I can’t believe I’ve never been there.”  
“Isn’t coffee better when milked from the corporate teat?” Hyuck piped up smugly and Jaemin looked ready to kill him. Jeno laughed. “Yeah, I know there’s a Starbucks near here but we’re honestly better.” He turned his attention back to Jaemin. “You should come in while I’m working sometime, I’d love to make something for you.”  
Jaemin bit his lip and leaned in closer. “Oh, yeah?”  
“Did you find what you were looking for?” Hyuck interrupted again and he really thought Jaemin was going to jump over the counter and tackle him.  
“Oh yeah!” He grabbed a copy of Currents and took it up to pay. Hyuck snatched it out of his hands before he thought Jaemin could dart behind the counter but he was wrong, and he was once again body-slammed against the wall as Jaemin took the vinyl and punched in the numbers of the register. “You guys don’t have scanners?”  
“Our manager thinks it’s better to be old school. That’s gonna be $16.87.”  
Jeno took out a 20 dollar bill and handed it to him, telling him to keep the change. Jaemin slipped his purchase into a brown paper bag and scribbled his phone number on the front of the bag in sloppy pen, making sure to dot the i with a heart. “Thank you for shopping with us today! We hope to see you back.” Jaemin purred as Hyuck rolled his eyes, still trapped between the register and the wall. Jeno waved almost merrily as he left and the second he was gone, Jaemin looked over at his coworker in disbelief.  
“Now that’s what I call Daddy.”

Hyuck swatted him with his magazine. "Don't be fucking gross!"


End file.
